Attachment for fire-places



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK S. ELSBERRY, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

ATTACHMENT FOR FIRE-PLACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,992, dated April 27, 1880.

Application filed February 17, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. ELSBERRY, of the city and county of Montgomery, and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Attachment for Fire-Places; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of my invention is to so construct the back of a fire-place or fire-place grate, and to provide it with such attachments in the form of pipes and a-Ives, that it shall be adapted for receiving a supply of water and holding the same while being converted into steam, which is distributed in pipes to difierent parts of the dwelling or other structure in which the grate is located.

The. details of construction and arrangement -of parts are as hereinafter described, reference being had to accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of a firegrate and connected parts embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 00 as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. at is a horizontal section on line y 3 Fig. 3, showing the water and steam pipes and valve mechanism enlarged.

The back A of the fire-grate is constructed hollow, of cast or wrought iron, and serves as a water-holder and steam-generator. Water is supplied to the chamber a of the same through pipe B, leading from the tank A, which is located in the wall or frame of the fire-place, or at any other preferred place where it is conveniently accessible.

The admission of water from tank A to the chamber a is controlled by a valve, 0, operated by a jointed rod, Gr.

The steam generated in the hollow grateback A escapes from the upper portion thereof through a pipe, 0, having lateral branches or connections G O, which pass through the rim or front of the grate-frame and extend around the room in which the grate is located and to any part of the dwelling or other building requiring to be heated. The escape of steam into such laterals G is controlled by a valve, cl, located in said main pipe 0, and operated by the same rod G as the watervalve 0. y

The pipe 0 is provided with a safety-valve,

6, adapted to operate automatically to relieve excess of steam-pressure in the chamber a, and thus prevent explosion.

Another pipe, F, also branches from the pipe 0 and leads into the chimney. Said pipe is provided with a plug or valve, f, which is under positive control, being operated by the aforesaid rod G. This rod Gr extends through the rim of the grate-front, and is provided with a handle or lever, which also constitutes the arm of plug 0. Thus all these valves are operated simultaneously by adjustment of the rod G.

In Fig. A I show the position of the plugs c d f and rod Gr required to close the waterpipe B and steam-escape pipe F and open steam-circulating pipe 0 O C but when it becomes necessary to resupply the chamber a with water the rod G is drawn forward, wherebythe valve 0 of the water-supply pipe B and the steam-escape valve of pipe F are both opened, and the valve d of steam-circulating pipe 0 is closed simultaneously. Thus water is admitted from tank A into the grate-back A, and steam is allowed to escape through pipe F into the chimney at the same time, so that there can be no danger of explosion from the sudden generation of a large quantity of steam by the sudden contact of cold or comparatively cold water with the front surface of the grate-back when highly heated. The valve d of steam-pipe c is closed, as above stated, to prevent the escape into pipe F of the steam which is under pressure in the pipes O C, so that such steam is not wasted.

In Fig. 1 I show a gage, h, for indicating the height of water in chamber a, and a cock, '5, for use in drawing off hot water when required also a pipe, k, leading from the base of the hollow grate-back A and extending (in practice) through the wall of the building into the outer air, for use in drawing off the contents of the chamber a when required, for the purpose of removing impurities or sediment.

What I claim is 1. In a fire-place grate, a hollow grate-back having a water-supply pipe, B, and steam-circulating pipes O and G O, and valves for controlling admission of the water and escape of steam in the respective pipes.

2. The combination, with the hollow gratewater-supply and steam safety-pipe F, with back, water-supply pipe B, and steam-cirouthe hollow grate-back, as shown and delating pipes, of the Valves and a rod, G, conscribed.

nected with the latter, whereby they are ad- FRANK S. ELSBERRY. 5 jnsted simultaneously, as shown and described. Witnesses:

3. The combination of the rod G, located R. M. PETTEWAY, accessibly, as specified, and the valves and R. A. TARVER. 

